Folding car-step.



J. SCHWERTNER.

FOLDING CAR STEP.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1911 1,064,094, Patented June 10, 1913.

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J. SGHWBRTNER.

FOLDING GAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1911 1,064,094. Patented June 10, 1913.

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JOSEPH SCHWERTNER, OF OTTOVILLE, OHIO.

FOLDING CAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1913.

Application filed September 28, 1911. Serial No. 651,872.

1 all 1071 0021 it mag concern Be it known that L Josnrn Si u'wmrrxnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at ()ttoville, in the county at Putnam and State o't Ohio, have invented certain new and usc- 'Ful lmprovemci'its in Folding arteps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in -folding car steps.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple device of this character, and one which may be quickly and easily operated.

Another object is to provide means tor automatically operating the steps of all the *ars.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following description and with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an automatically operated step system. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one flight. of steps, the auxiliary step being extended. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the auxiliary step being folded. Fig. 1 is a bottom plan View of the steps. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the steps showing means for manually operating the same. Fig. (3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the valve, in the running position, Fig. 8 is a similar view in the position to lower the steps on one side, Fig. 9 is a similar view in the position to lower the steps on both sides.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the platform of each of the cars, and 11 the usual stops. Pivoted to the forward edge of the bottom step 12 is a riser 13 attached thereto by means of the hinges 14-. so that said riser may told back under the step 12. Connected to the bottom of the riser by means of the hinges 15 is the tread of the auxiliary step 16. In the angle between the step 12 and the next riser above and at either end of the step is a hanger.17, having there in a roller 18, through which the supporting arm 19 passes, said arm being bent at an angle at its lower end and secured to the. under face of the step 16 as at 20. One of these arms 19 is arranged at each end of the step, and the upper end of each of the arms has a loop 21, interlocked with a similar loop 23 on a connecting rod 24, whose other end is pivotally attached to a crank arm 25 projecting from a shaft 26. At each end of the step below the plattorm is attached a triangular plate 27 in which are journaled the shaft 526 and a second shaft 98 arranged adjacent thereto. ()n the sha'tt 28 is a large pinion 2!) which is adapted to mesh with a sn'ialler pinion 230 on the shaft 20, so that upon rotation of the shatt 25%. similar movement will be communicated to the shaft Qt), thus nmving the arm 25 to operate the connecting link 2-1- and the arm 15) to extend or told the step to. As I'ODI'PSCIltttl in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 the shaft 28 has a crank arm 31 which is pivotally connected at 32 to a piston rod 33. The rod 1 has on its oppir site end a piston head ll which works on the cylinder 35 connected to a supply of compressed air, a suitablea'alve 36 being disposed on each of the cars, and so connected that said valve may be operated simultanetnisly or independently to let air into the cylinders 35 or to exhaust it therefrom to Fold or extend the steps.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, and 7 it will be seen that the valve Elt is seated in a casing so, in which are formed theby-passes 10, 41 and -12. The pass 1-0 is connected to the reservoir A by means of the pipe 43. Formed transversely through the valve 36 are the passages 41- and 4-5, which when the valve is in position of Fig. 1, registers with the by-passes 11 and 42, respectively, at one end and with the pass together with their other ends. Tn this position air flows from the reservoir through the pass 10, across the 'alv-c and to the cylinders 35 on both sides of the car, by means of the pipes -10 and 17. In the casing at. diametrically opposite points to the passes 4-1v and 4-2 are outlets 18 and 19 leading to the atmos phere.

\Vhen it is desired to lower the steps on one side of the train, the valve 36 thrown to the position represented in Fig. 8. In this position air contimies to flow through the passage 4-5 to the cylinders on one side of the car, but the passage ll is in register with the pass 41. and the outlet 48. so that the air in the cylinders of one side of the car. will exhaust therctron'i, and permit their steps to tall. A movement of the valve to the opposite position will exhaust air through the passage 45 and outlet 49. It is of course understood that constant pressure of air is held in the cylimlcrs 35, which holds the steps up. as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 8. \Vhen it is desired to lower all of the steps on both sides, theivalve 36 is turned so that the passage 44: registers with the pass 42 and outlet 49, while the passage registers with the pass 11 and the outlet 48, thus exhausting the air to the atmosphere, from the cylinders 35 on both sides of the car. This is clearly shown in Fig. 9.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a shaft 28 is provided with a hand lever 37 which extends upwardly above the platform, the lever having a stop member 38 adapted to engage a projection 39 to limit the movement of the lever. Thus when the lever is moved, or air is let into the cylinders 35, the shaft 28 will be rotated, and through the meshing of the gears rotate the shaft 26 and pull upwardly on the link 24 and the arm 19 so that the step 16 and riser 13 will be folded together under the step 12. A reversal of this operation causes the rotation of the shafts 26 and 28 :in the opposite direction which push down on the arm 19 and link 2 1 and unfolds the riser 13 and step 16 to extended position. The rollers 18 guide the arms 19 and provide an anti-friction hearing so that the parts will work easily.

It will thus be seen that the device is simple and easy of operation, and that it is possible to throw all of the steps down at the same time, or operate the steps individually.

It will be understood that one of the valves 36 is located on each of the cars of'a train, including the engine, so that the engineer may have control of the raising and lowering of the steps. hen the engineer has control of the steps, all of the valves 36 on the car are thrown into the position as represented in Fig. 7, the engineers valve being located in the pipe 413 between the valve on the first car and the tank, the engineers valve being of a structure identical with those on the car, and the Various positions being also the same, so that the engineer can raise or lower all of the steps on either side or both sides of the cars of the train.

What is claimed is:

1. A system of auxiliary steps for railway trains consisting of risers and treads hinged together and to the bottom steps, a drivlng shaft and a driven shaft arranged beneath the steps, means on the driving shaft to cause the rotation of the driven shaft, connections between the driven shaft and the tread,cylinders arranged adjacent the shafts a piston in the cylinder, connections between the driving shaft and the piston, connections between a cylinder and the compressed air supply, and means for controlling the flow of air to said cylinders whereby said shafts will be rotated to fold or extend said risers and treads.

2. The combination with the steps of a railway train, of auxiliary steps mounted at the bottom of said steps, a compressed air supply, air cylinders adjacent the steps, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the auxiliary steps, valves for controlling the flow of air from the compressed air supply to the cylinders to hold the auxiliary steps in elevated position, at times, and to exhaust the air from the cylinders to lower the steps at times.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH SCHWERTNER.

Witnesses J. W. BOWMAN, GEO. ALTENBURGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

